1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for mounting rimless eyeglass frames to a nose bridge coupling and to temple pieces.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In some eyeglasses the eyeglass frames include rim structures that surround, or at least partially surround, the transparent lenses that are set side-by-side for positioning on either side of a person""s nose. In such eyeglass frames there is typically a bridge portion that spans the bridge of a person""s nose and which is integrally formed with the rims surrounding the eyeglass lenses. Temple pieces are then connected by hinge connections to the opposite sides of the rims on either side of the lenses.
However, another very popular style of eyeglass construction employes lenses that are not surrounded by rims. This type of eyeglass construction is popular with some people who object to the obstruction of their vision by the rims that are sometimes employed to surround the eyeglass lenses. Other people simply prefer the aesthetic appearance of rimless eyeglasses.
The construction of rimless eyeglasses presents certain structural problems. In eyeglasses with rims surrounding the lenses, the rims serve the function of providing a structural connection to both the bridge of the frame that spans the bridge of a person""s nose and also to the temple pieces. In rimless eyeglasses, on the other hand, some other system for coupling the eyeglass lenses to each other on either side of a person""s nose and also to the temple pieces must be employed.
One system that has been devised for this purpose is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,445. In this system tapered apertures are defined through the structure of the lenses near both the mutually proximate and mutually remote edges of the lenses. The extremities of the bridge piece and the temple pieces are tapered in a corresponding manner and are inserted into the tapered apertures in the lenses to provide a friction lock therewith. While this system does achieve the objective of joining the lenses to each other by means of a bridge piece joining the lenses to temple pieces, it has significant disadvantages.
Tapered apertures through the lenses can be machined only with great care. A tapered drilling tool must be inserted into the structure of the lenses, but only to a depth that must be controlled within very fine tolerances. If the drilling tool penetrates too far, the aperture openings will be too large so that the bridge pieces and temple pieces will not be gripped tightly. If drilling penetration is too shallow, the aperture openings will be too small and will not permit complete insertion of the tapered ends of the bridge piece and the tapered ends of the temple connectors into the apertures. Furthermore, extra machining is required to create the tapered ends of the bridge piece and temple connectors. As a consequence, this system involves an inordinately large expense in eyeglass construction and is subject to production of a significant number of defective products.
The present invention provides a rimless eyeglass construction which easily and consistently creates a secure connection of the eyeglass lenses to the bridge piece and to both of the temple pieces. The system of the present invention does not require adherence to the very close machining tolerances characteristic of conventional rimless eyeglass connection systems, yet creates a more consistently secure coupling of the eyeglass lenses to the bridge and to the temple pieces.
In one broad aspect the present invention may be considered to be a connection between a rimless eyeglass lens and mounting apparatus for positioning the lens comprising: an aperture defined through the structure of the lens, and a wire of 5 uniform cross section on the mounting apparatus that is doubled back upon itself to form a loop. The wire is inserted into the aperture at the loop thereof and is secured therein by the force of friction.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention the aperture has a uniform cross section throughout and the loop of the wire is inserted through the aperture. The loop is formed of entry and reentry portions which preferably reside in direct contact with each other within the aperture. In this way a double thickness of the wire resides within the confines of the aperture. Preferably also a resilient, annular grommet is located within the aperture.
The wire is preferably formed of metal and passes through the grommet so that the grommet isolates the metal wire from direct contact with the lens. The grommet also exerts frictional forces against both the wire and the lens. The lens has inside and outside surfaces and the grommet preferably has a laterally projecting flange located on the outside surface of the lens. In a further preferred construction, the aperture is formed near the edge of the lens and the wire is bent to grip the structure of the lens between the aperture and the edge of the lens near which the aperture is located.
In another broad aspect the invention-may be considered to be a mounting apparatus for rimless eyeglass lenses, each lens having an inner and an outer surface and mutually proximate and mutually remote mounting edges. The apparatus comprises mounting apertures formed through the lenses near at least some of the edges thereof, and at least one mounting wire having a uniform cross section doubled back upon itself to form mounting loops. The wire or plurality of wires is inserted into the mounting apertures at the mounting loops and secured therein by friction.
In still another aspect the invention may be considered to be an improvement in a rimless pair of eyeglasses employing a pair of transparent lenses, each having opposing inner and outer surfaces and having mutually proximate edges joined together at bridge couplings by a bridge and mutually remote edges joined to temple pieces at temple couplings. According to the improvement of the invention at least one of the couplings employs a wire doubled back upon itself to form a bent return loop. At least one of the lenses is perforated by an aperture of uniform cross section throughout between its inner and outer surfaces near at least one of the lens edges. The wire passes through the aperture at the bent return loop and is held anchored to the lens in the aperture by friction.